The Causes And Effects Of Urbanization In Africa

Along with population growth large-scale urbanization is happening; in 1950 there were 86 cities with a population of more than one million. As of 2010 there are over 400 cities with populations that exceed one million (Davis 1) (United Nations. World Urbanization Prospects.). Some estimates indicate that most of the world’s urban population growth will be in Asia, with growth centers being India and China. Currently, nine out of the twenty-three cities with a population of more than 10 million are in Asia (Ooi, Phua i28). The rates of urban slum-dwellers in sub-Saharan Africa may further stagger some, with several countries reporting that the vast majority of their urban populations are slum-dwellers (e.g. Ethiopia reports that 99.4% of the urban population resides in slums). Yet, looking beyond the statistics is wholly necessary, since prior to 1990 slums and squatter settlements were rare in West Africa (Grant 1).

Recent data has shown that the world’s total population is doubling; however, the world's urban population is tripling. In the early 1800s, only 2 percent of the world’s population lived in urban areas (Urbanization; an environmental force to reckon with). This is a sharp contrast to what we have today. The promise of ample job opportunities, higher wages, and a better standard of living have been the main luring factors for attracting people into cities. Today about 50 percent of the world’s population lives in urban areas. It is estimated that by 2050 about 60-70 percent of the world’s population will be living in urban areas (Urbanization; an environmental force to reckon with). This growth trend of the urban populace is troubling since it has tremendous bad effects on our environment which in turn has bad effects on our health and well-being.

Urbanization is a concept that is deeply rooted in the increase in a population within a region in response to the availability of unique opportunities. The opportunities may include the availability of employment chances in factories, investments opportunities in the urban areas, and the presence of sufficient housing and social infrastructure. It is apparent that urbanization began centuries ago in different regions of the world. However, the development of suburban areas has also been an interesting phenomenon over the centuries. Initially, people strived to live in the luxurious houses in major towns and cities. Nevertheless, there was a gradual shift in the desire to live in the cities when various negative impacts of overpopulation

With the advent of globalization and industrialization, urban migration and expansion of cities have become a global trend. South American nations are amongst being most rapid urbanized countries. As more people migrate to urban areas in search of better work opportunities, the cities here are growing in size and number (Ferguson & Navarrete, 2003). This problem is native to not just Latin American countries but is a major concern for most of the developing world. As estimated by the UN (United Nations, 2016), 3 billion people or about 40% of the world population would be living in substandard housing as a result of urban expansions and population growth. This is perceived to be a direct impact of rapid urbanization and excessive strain on

It is estimated that over 50% of the world’s population now lives in urban areas and that this will rise to 70% by 2050. Such a change will

Recently, urbanization has become the newest form of progress. However, it seems that urbanization has created some unforeseen problems. Bocquier suggests “economic uncertainties that prevail in most urban settings lead to a deterioration of living conditions…this deterioration particularly affects the urban poor” (pg. 1). As society began to change and progress at such a quick pace, many people have been left behind and have had to adapt to survive to their new environments.

The 21st century is witnessing an increase of the world’s population into urban dwellers. Dramatic movement of people into major towns and cities of the world is caused by rapid sprawl; this is observed in developed and developing countries. This increasing recognition is inevitable; therefore the solution to urban problems depends largely on effective planning, infrastructural management and development. Usually, unplanned population growth is associated to population demands that supersede infrastructure and service capacity, leading to the degradation of the environment.

Humans have evolved immensely throughout centuries and the trend toward urbanization is a worldwide phenomenon that impacts the environment, economy and various aspects of human life. In America before the 18th century, manufacturing was done by hand using homemade tools and basic machinery, the industrialization of America led to an increase of immigration and an influx of people drawn to cities where new economic opportunities were available. “Urbanization is the process by which town and cities are formed and become larger as more people begin living and working in central areas”. It occurs casually from individual and corporate efforts to reduce expense in commuting and transportation. The level and growth of urbanization differs by region

“In 1800 only 3% of people lived in a city of 1 million or more; by the year 2000, it was 47%. In 1950 there were only 83 cities worldwide with populations over 1 million; by 2007 there were 468. In April 2008, the world passed the 50% urbanization mark. Cities have evolved into a more complex space inter-linked by a number of systems and planners generally have failed to read the ‘Urban Progression’ and thus cities have failed significantly in terms of the ‘Quality of Life’ of the urbanites.”

More jobs are available, the development and increase of diversification creates opportunity, there is access to more technologies, consumption rates are at an all time high, and many gaps are being bridged between business people. There is also a much greater deal of innovation and many new opportunities that were not possible before. Although this may be the case here in America, it is not the ultimate reality globally. The relationship between economic development and urbanization is complex. As it is well noted, many studies would conclude that there is a strong positive correlation between the degree of urbanization and it’s result in per-capita income, but this case is only true in those countries that are already developed. In an effort to provide results on urbanization in developed and developing countries together, we must look at urbanization as a whole. Studies show that as a city increases in population by 10% it offers wages that are anywhere from 0.2 to 1% higher. “The conclusion of the agglomeration literature is that there is a causal static effect of cities and urbanization on wages in more advanced economies, but this effect represents only approximately half the measured association between city population or density and wages.” Overall there are many differences between developed and developing countries and some of these key differences may make it harder for cities in these developing countries to reach their full potential

Gentrification has been a controversial issue both in urban planning and politics primarily due to the displacement of poor people by the rich folks (Shaw & Hagemans, 2015). Many individuals have viewed gentrification as an illegal act that should be avoided at all costs. On the other hand, another group of people believe that gentrification is the way forward to promoting growth and development. With such contrasting ideas, this paper is going to take a look at gentrification from a positive and negative perspective, its effects, and how it can be prevented or contained. Apart from this, the paper will also address the following questions.

Yet, gentrification is so difficult to track and explain. There is no definite reason for the causes and there are many potential studies that need to be conducted before any conclusions can be made. Gentrification is the result of a general trend of middle and high desiring to move from the suburbs and into the vibrant city. “It seeks to transform the historic neighbourhoods in an opportunity for the market, in the context of the growth of financial real estate and touristic sectors” (Díaz-Parra, I.,2015). So not only is gentrification inclined by the increase in demand of middle and high class people within cities, but also by the large profit margins that can be made by developers. Although, the hardships for deprived households is extremely harsh. Tenants within gentrifying areas suffer as their undervalued housing is loss for very low compensation, they are forced out of their communities, away from their jobs, friends, and resources that were once valuable to them. The issue lies in the difference between the rich and the poor. The gap in wealth makes this type of corruption so accessible and common. The poor, deprived households continue to lack power within society and simply have to watch as their life is changed when they are forced to

Corruption, negligence and irresponsibility of the civil management have contributed to the continued spread of the slum in the city of Lagos.

The process of people moving into cities, which is called urbanisation, was happening around the world in past decades. It causes cities to have more labourers and resources than before. This makes a big contribution to the social development of cities. Thanks to these social developments, public services are becoming better in these areas. Citizens can enjoy a better life by access these public services such as better medical care, more education resources and well-built transport. It means an equitable society can be created. An equitable society means citizens can have more opportunities to access social resources and to live a better life. This essay will argue that

In many areas of the world, the increase of population always caused an issue with adequate housing. While some countries do better than others at controlling the situation, there is always a percentage of people that live in the slums. About 55.6% of the population in China are currently living in the urban areas which is fairly good in a country such as China, compared to the 18.3% in 1982.1 However the rate of urbanization is at a rate of 3.01%, which is a fairly high rate as compared to the world.32With over 44.4% of China’s population not living in an urbanized area, rises the question of how to quickly and effectively move the slum population into adequate housing. Many questions arise from urbanizing a large portion of a population such as, how can China manage its population, how can China decrease the social barrier between the slums and urban areas, and lastly what classifies as adequate housing?